Shades of Darkness
by Iris Amergin
Summary: A dark little story about Lachesis, a necromancer, and some souls that should have stayed dead. *Chapter Four up...finally!*
1. Prologue

_Author's Note: This starts during Chapter Five, and goes from there. I freely admit that I'm pulling a lot of details out of my ass here, because all I have to work from is an 80% complete translation patch. So if things are wrong, they're wrong. Deal with it or write me scathing hate mail as you will._

**Shades of Darkness: Prologue**

by Iris Amergin

The sun dipped slowly below the horizon, casting a few last rays of light across the Yied Desert; light that was thrown about and reflected from the surfaces of fallen weapons, casting eerie shadows upon the faces of the men who had wielded them.

The desert was littered with bodies, testament of a brief but furious battle that had occured not twelve hours before. Most of those bodies were knights of Lenster, members of the Lanzenritter. A few were Thracian dragon knights; although the Lanzenritter had been at a severe disadvantage, they had managed to take a few of their foes with them.

But these were not the bodies Elvidner was interested in.

"Further north," the necromancer muttered to himself. "He would have been at the head of the formation, of course."

"But sir..." The boy behind him tugged his sleeve timidly. "Couldn't you make use of these too?"

"Of course I can. But I'm after a much bigger prize than these knights, and I want to be certain I have the energies for it. Use your head, Sudra."

Sudra hung his head. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize. Just think next time," said Elvidner irritably, still moving forward. He stopped periodically to examine the bodies. "He's here somewhere...ah! If I'm not mistaken, we've found him." He knelt beside one of the bodies. "Just in time. If we'd arrived much later I might not be able to pull this off."

Sudra nodded, watching as his master set to work. Necromancy was a delicate magic, requiring intense concentration and fine control over one's powers. Even among the Loput Sect, where such dark arts were still practiced, few had the talents necessary to pursue a career in necromancy, and fewer still put in the time and study to become masters of the art.

Elvidner was one of the best.

Sudra frowned. Something was wrong; Elvidner seemed to be having far more difficulty than he normally would. Summoning and controlling a shade was never easy, of course, but this one seemed to be particularly reluctant--

"Got him," Elvidner said wearily, removing his hand from the corpse. "That was a tough one."

"Are you alright, sir?"

"Just tired. It's that damned Noba blood. They're all so stubborn--even in death the son of a bitch fights back." He sighed. "And it felt almost like something else was holding his soul back..."

"But you got it, didn't you?"

"Yes." Elvidner stood, dusting the sand from his ebony robes. "Our work here is done."

Sudra frowned and pointed to the corpses. "But maybe her--"

"No. She would be useful, but I don't have the strength to deal with her. It's a regretable waste, but a necessary one. Let's go."

* * *

"Dead?" asked Lachesis numbly.

Sigurd nodded, closing his eyes. "I don't want to believe it, but the reports seem reliable." He leaned against the wall and covered his face with his hands. "It's such a waste!"

"I can't believe it..." she murmured. "Do...do we know who killed them?"

"Thracian dragon knights. I can only assume that Trabant saw an opportunity he just couldn't resist--although I wouldn't be surprised if someone from Grandbell put him up to it, too." Sigurd drew in a deep breath, composing himself. "Lachesis, I'd like you to go to Lenster."

"What?" she asked, startled. "Sigurd, are you crazy? You need me here!"

Sigurd shook his head. "Fury scouted out Leptor's force. She says it's not as large as I expected, and they still haven't moved out from Velthomer. I'd assume they're waiting for us to come to them, so we've got plenty of time to prepare. We can handle it."

"But why chance it? Why not let me stick around and go to Lenster later?"

"Even if we get to Velthomer, I still don't know what's going to happen to us," Sigurd said. "I'd rather send someone now, when I know you've got a good chance of making it there in one piece. Lenster's informants don't go as far as Yied. If somebody doesn't take them the news, they might not know about it for months, and Trabant will work that to his advantage. We can't just leave them ignorant of their prince's fate."

Lachesis sighed. "You're right, of course. You usually are. But why send me?"

Sigurd scratched his head, his voice taking on an awkward tone. "Well, it's hard to find a polite way to put this..."

"I'm expendable?"

"No! But from a tactical standpoint, your loss does hurt less. You're equally adept at a multitude of things. If you go, we suffer a small loss in each area. Whereas if I sent, say, Levin, we'd have a gaping hole in magical offense. That kind of thing is harder to plan over."

"Makes sense," said Lachesis, although she could not completely disguise the sting in her tone. "I guess I won't be missed, then."

"Lachesis..." Sigurd sighed. "I don't mean it that way. Your skills give you the best shot at being able to handle whatever might happen on the way. And you have reasons of your own to travel to Lenster."

She nodded. "Sorry I snapped. I just..." She shook her head. "I really wanted to be here for the endgame, you know? For Eltoshan's sake."

"I know. And I'm sorry." He put a hand on her shoulder. "But Finn's out there in Lenster, with no clue that his lord is dead--and no clue that he has a son. I know you've missed him."

She smiled. "I have. And I want to stay, but if you sent anyone else, I'd be mad, because I want to be with him, too." She sighed, lowering her eyes to the floor. "I hope Oifey and Shanan are taking good care of Delmud. I don't like sending him away, but what else could I do?"

"I know how you feel," said Sigurd grimly. "And they have Selis, and Ayra and Lex's twins...those two are going to have their hands full. But I just didn't see any other option. We'll all go find them, someday. If we live through this."

"When we live through this," Lachesis said firmly.

Sigurd smiled weakly. "I wish I shared your optimism."

"You've survived everything they've thrown at you so far. You've liberated entire nations, you've challenged dark sorcerers...you won't die here, Sigurd. Not yet."

"An execution order isn't exactly something you can fight with a sword, though," Sigurd pointed out. "Much as I wish it were. It certainly would make things easier."

He seemed about to say more, but was stopped by the sound of approaching footsteps. They both turned to face the source. Alec and Sylvia came in.

"Sorry to interupt," said Alec. "But we heard you two talking...I'm sorry about Cuan and Ethlin, Sigurd."

"Thank you," said Sigurd, his tone subdued.

"But that's not really why we jumped in," said Alec. "If Lachesis is leaving, I'd like for Sylvia to go with her."

Sigurd raised one eyebrow. "Why?"

Alec sighed. "Well, I don't really want her around for the rest of this, you know? She's got to Lynn to take care of, and with another kid on the way..."

"You're both agreed on this?" Sigurd asked, turning to Sylvia.

She nodded. "Yes," she said quietly. "I don't like it, but he's right. So I was plannin' on goin' to Darna until this is over."

"Darna makes sense," Lachesis mused. "It's the closest place to here that's remained neutral. And it's on the way to Lenster."

"I see no problem with it," said Sigurd. "But of course, it's up to Lachesis if she wants the company."

"I don't mind," said Lachesis. "It'll be nice to have someone to talk to, even if only for part of the way." She looked at Sigurd. "How soon do you want us to leave?"

"As soon as you're ready. We'll be making preparations for the next battle, of course, but I don't plan to move on Velthomer until you've gotten a good head start to Lenster. If Leptor moves his forces too soon, there's a risk of you being discovered, and I'd prefer not to chance it."

"Right," said Lachesis. She turned to Sylvia. "Can you be ready to head out tomorrow morning?"

"Sure."

"Great. I've got a few things to take care of before tomorrow, so I'll see you all later." Lachesis nodded to the others and walked briskly out of the room.

"I think she's mad at me," said Sigurd.

"Why?" asked Alec.

"For having her go. It implies that I don't need her here as much as I need everyone else." He shrugged. "But what can I do? If I don't send her, she'd be mad that I sent someone else to see Finn, when she wants to see him more than any of the rest of us."

Alec shrugged. "It's a no-win, Sigurd. She's a bit too proud--same as her brother. But she'll get over it."

"I hope so," said Sigurd. "I'd hate to send her off, possibly never see her again, and have to live with her being mad at me."

"Don't be fatalistic," said Alec. "We'll live through this."

"Right," murmured Sigurd as Alec and Sylvia left. "I hope so, anyway..."

* * *

"Are you sure you've gotten enough rest for this, sir?"

"I'm sure, Sudra. Now be quiet and let me concentrate."

Sudra bowed his head apologetically. "Sorry."

Elvidner did not respond. He was already concentrating on his magic.

Sudra watched, fascination outweighing his momentary shame. He had seen this done before, but it never ceased to amaze him. Once summoned, a shade normally existed in a noncorporeal form; their spirit remained in the world, but had no physical anchor. As long as the shade existed outside the physical realm, it had no power to influence it. Thus, in order to get the maximum use out of the shades he summoned, Elvidner had gotten into the habit of anchoring them to physical bodies.

Never human, of course. Even if he was in control, shades were by nature rebellious, and it would be risky enough to give a normal shade a human form--let alone a shade of such power as a descendant of the Crusaders.

Elvidner continued building his spell, the air humming with power around him. Sudra leaned closer, his excitement growing; it was almost finished--

There was a loud pop as the spell was released, and a large crow materialized in front of Elvidner.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Prince Cuan," Elvidner smirked. The crow glared at him and preened its feathers.


	2. Chapter One

**Shades of Darkness: Chapter One**

by Iris Amergin

"I don't like leaving, now of all times..." Lachesis sighed, gently urging her horse forward.

"I don't like it either, but someone's gotta do it," said Sylvia.

Lachesis frowned. She hadn't realized she was speaking out loud. "Sure, someone has to do it. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. The Yied Desert is a nasty place."

Sylvia shrugged. "True. How far are we from Darna?"

"A few days. We're camping out every night; we could stop over in Yied but I'd rather not. That place used to be the center of operations for the Loput Sect. I doubt the people there would be too friendly."

"Fine by me."

They rode on in silence. Lachesis had never really spoken much to Sylvia; she had simply never bothered to acquaint herself with the dancer. She bit her lip, trying to think of some sort of icebreaker.

Sylvia found one for her. "Did you know Cuan and Ethlin well?"

Startled, Lachesis looked at Sylvia. "Well...yes. Why?"

Sylvia sighed, looking down. "I never really got to know them all that well. Now it's too late...they say hindsight's always clearer than lookin' ahead, I guess. I wish I'd known them better."

"You'd have liked them," said Lachesis. "It was hard not to like them. Cuan's always been confident...almost arrogant, but he's so friendly and positive that I never minded it much. I had an easier time talking to him than Sigurd when I first met them."

"How did you meet them, anyway? Because of your brother?"

"Yes. They met at the military academy in Barhara."

Sylvia frowned. "Cuan and your brother weren't from Grandbell, though."

"No. But Barhara does accept foreign students. Only from nations they've got alliances with, of course. That was before Agustria switched sides."

"I see. When did you meet Ethlin?"

"Ethlin..." Lachesis thought for a moment. "That must have been five or six years ago, when she and Cuan got married. Cuan and Sigurd had visited Nodion before, so I knew them already, but the wedding was the first time I left Agustria. That was before my father died, so my brother and I were both able to go."

"How was it?"

"It was wonderful." Lachesis smiled. "They're still a bit more attached to old traditions and formalities in Lenster, but that really added to the effect. I've never seen anything quite like it."

"Is Lenster nice?"

"Yes. The forests aren't as impressive as the ones in Grandbell, but it's still a beautiful area." She glanced at Sylvia. "Where are you from, anyway?"

"All over. I never really stuck long enough in any one place to call it home."

"Isn't that difficult, though? Always being on the move?"

"It was when I was little, but the older I got the more I found myself likin' it. Seein' so much of the world is really an experience." Sylvia laughed. "'Course, if I'd known I'd be seein' so much of it now anyway, maybe I'd have liked to stick in one place for a bit."

"Nobody really plans to get caught up in royal politics and chased halfway across Jugdral, but sometimes it just happens," Lachesis laughed.

"Yeah, it--" Sylvia was cut off as Lynn began crying loudly. "Aw...simmer down, hon," Sylvia said comfortingly. She held Lynn a bit closer and began to coo at her. "You don't wanna cry, right?"

Lachesis sighed as she watched mother and daughter interact. _And how is my own child doing?_ she wondered. _Am I such a horrible mother that I leave my son halfway across the continent and don't even think about it that much?_

"Lachesis? You okay?"

"Fine," said Lachesis with a cheer she did not feel. "Just thinking, that's all."

"About what?"

"Finn. Delmud. How I feel about leaving my son in another country, how I'm supposed to explain it to Finn, what he'll think of me when I tell him what I've done..."

"He won't think any less of you," said Sylvia. "We're at war. People have to make sacrifices. He'll understand."

"People have to make sacrifices," Lachesis murmured. "But that's always how it is, isn't it? Everyone thinks sure, people have to make sacrifices, but nobody ever really believes that they, personally, will be one of the people making them. I know war is cruel, but I always felt like I was...immune, somehow. And now my brother is dead, my castle in the hands of the enemy, my lover far away in one country and my son in another." She shook her head. "I never _imagined_ this would happen, Sylvia. I don't understand it, so how could I possibly expect him to?"

Sylvia said nothing. Lachesis continued, "Eltoshan used to say that the people who suffer most during war are the civilians. But is that really true? Look at what all of us have lost...Ayra and Lex had to send their children to another country. They may never see them again. Sigurd may never see his son again, and his wife disappeared without a trace--as if being framed for high treason wasn't enough to suffer, and now he's even lost his father and his sister! Cuan and Ethlin died and left their children orphaned. Isn't it enough that we fight and put ourselves on the line? Why do the people close to us have to pay for this war too?" She dropped the reins and covered her face in her hands. "I don't understand!"

An arm crossed her shoulders, and she looked up in surprise. Sylvia had stopped her horse alongside Lachesis and put her arm around her. "I don't understand either, Lachesis," she said softly. "But I don't think we're meant to understand. All we can do is keep goin' and hope for the best."

Lachesis nodded numbly. "I know. But running on faith takes it out of you pretty fast." She shivered as an unwelcome thought crossed her mind. "And what do we do when faith runs out?"

"We don't let it run out to start with, that's what," said Sylvia. "You're stronger than this, Lachesis. Pull it together. I know you can hang in there."

"Right..." She sighed. "Thank you, Sylvia. Sorry to be such a downer."

"It happens. We all have our moments in the darkness. You just have to hold it together and wait for the sun to rise again, eh?"

Lachesis managed a faint smile. "I'm beginning to wish I'd gotten to know you better before this, Sylvia. It shames me to say it, but I'd always written you off as a flirt with more charm than sense. I'm glad to be wrong."

Sylvia laughed. "Make no mistake, when I joined up with you all three years ago, I did have more charm than sense. It's bein' around folks like you that put some ideas into my head about what's really important in life."

"I was still pretty stuck-up, though, and I should apologize."

"Don't worry about it." Sylvia frowned. "How far in the desert are we?"

Lachesis closed her eyes, thinking. "Fury said Cuan and Ethlin were attacked about a day's travel from Phinath. We should be near that area in a few hours." She opened her eyes.

Sylvia shuddered. "I don't even wanna think about what we'll find."

"Neither do I. But Fury didn't stop for a closer look, so we'll have to." Lachesis stared into the horizon. "It won't be pleasant, but we really have no choice."

* * *

Sylvia covered her mouth with her hand and stifled a gasp.

Lachesis reacted more calmly, although a voice deep in her mind was screaming bloody murder at the sight before her eyes. Vultures had found the remains of the Lanzenritter, converging on the corpses for a feast. Several of the bodies had already been picked clean; others had so many scavengers grouped around them, she couldn't see how badly they had been eaten. _Please don't let them have found Cuan and Ethlin..._ she thought desparately. _Please..._

She swallowed and dismounted from her horse. "Sylvia. Get down."

Sylvia whimpered something incomprehensible.

"Sylvia," said Lachesis a bit more sharply. "I know it's not pleasant, but we have to find Cuan and Ethlin. Come on."

Sylvia silently dismounted and followed her, clutching Lynn close to her chest.

Lachesis tried not to look too hard as she picked her way through the corpses.

"What the..." Lachesis frowned. "Those two over there? But there's nothing--" She dashed forward, stopping ten feet away from the last two bodies.

She had guessed correctly; it was indeed Cuan and Ethlin. But while their companions were being picked over by the local wildlife, they remained completely untouched. It appeared that no animals had even noticed the two, save one.

A glossy black crow was perched delicately on Cuan's shoulder. But it did not show any interest in the corpse; rather, it stared straight at Lachesis. She shuddered, feeling a sudden chill run down her spine. It felt as though the crow was piercing her with its eyes--

"Shoo! Go on!" Sylvia ran forward and kicked at the crow. It squalked in surprise and flew away. Sylvia dropped to her knees in front of Cuan and Ethlin and began to wipe at her eyes. "Lachesis..."

Lachesis pushed thoughts of the crow from her mind and knelt beside Sylvia. "It's so strange..." she whispered. "It looks as though nothing has even touched them...Sylvia?"

Sylvia was crying silently.

"Sylvia..." Lachesis put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Sylvia," she said gently, though she felt like crying herself.

"Is it?" asked Sylvia numbly. "Can you honestly say it is?"

And Lachesis couldn't.

* * *

The crow, as Lachesis had suspected, was not just any crow. But whatever suspicions she had came nowhere close to penetrating the truth--just as well, for as far as the crow was concerned, it was better if she didn't know.

Cuan had not been the first descendant of the Holy Warriors to fall under Elvidner's sway. He had been the second. The summoning of his shade, unfortunate as it was, would have been unpreventable even if Sigurd or any of his followers had known what was happening. But the first shade Elvidner had summoned could easily had been saved--if Sigurd had only waited a day longer before moving his forces out to deal with the Ogrehill Pirates.

The crow did not hold it against Sigurd. There was certainly no way anyone could have anticipated what would happen. But nor did the crow forget.

It flew for nearly half a day before it caught up to Elvidner. The instructions had been simple: Stay by Cuan's body, and return when someone discovered it.

Elvidner and Sudra were finishing setup for that night's camp. Cuan was already perched on a nearby rock, preening his feathers and looking decidedly uncomfortable with his new form.

The crow landed next to Cuan. _You'll get used to it._

Cuan looked up, startled; he had apparently not yet realized that he, like all other shades, was capable of telepathic speech. _Used to it? Are you kidding?_

_Calm down--_

_Calm down? D'you honestly expect me to calm down when I've been trapped in the very form of the Morrigan herself?_

Had the crow still been in his human form, he would have snorted, but that particular mannerism did not adapt itself well to avian form, so he clacked his beak instead. _You always confused me with that even when we were alive. I don't know the first thing about the mythology of Lenster, you know._

_When we were--_ Cuan stopped. _Wait a minute...Eltoshan?_

_Guilty as charged._ Eltoshan rustled his wings. _You seem surprised._

_I've died, turned into a crow, and found out that the same thing happened to one of my two best friends. That sort of thing does tend to surprise people_, Cuan said irritably. _Have you been with this guy ever since you died?_

_Pretty much. The day you all left, he got ahold of my corpse, and it all went downhill from there._

Cuan blinked. _How can you be so...so _casual_ about it?_

_Spend over a year like this and the same will happen to you._ Eltoshan tilted his head. _Being stuck between life and death gives you a whole new perspective on things._

_Were you there when he--when he did this to me?_

_Yes. Why?_

_Did he do anything to Ethlin?_

_No._

Cuan sighed with relief. _Good._

_Something happened to her, though._

_But you said--_

_Whatever it is, he didn't do it. At least, not intentionally, and I don't think he realized it. But I was there for a while after he left. And the scavengers didn't touch either of you._

_So what has that got to do with the price of bread in Barhara?_ snapped Cuan.

_Natural life shies away from anything that's lost its soul, from what I've gathered,_ Eltoshan explained. _Something to do with the unnaturalness of a soulless being, even a dead one. So with you, that makes a lot of sense. But they wouldn't touch her, either._

_What happened, then?_

_I was hoping you would know._

Cuan shook his head. _I don't know._

_Damn. Something _had_ to have happened. Are you sure?_

_I'm sure, okay? _Cuan said angrily.

_Calm down, would you? I just asked a goddamned question--_

_I don't think I'm going to be calming down any time soon, especially if you don't shut up and let this sink in!_

Eltoshan glared at Cuan, but said nothing in response. Cuan glared back and returned to preening his feathers.

* * *

Lachesis and Sylvia remained at the battleground for several hours, doing their best to sort out the scattered bodies and give them the semblence of proper last rites. They couldn't bury them--the shifting sands made that impossible to do in such a limited span of time--but they did their best to leave them in a more dignified manner than they had died.

Cuan and Ethlin were the exception. They had been left in each other's arms; Lachesis secretly wondered if they had really died that way or if Trabant had simply been sure to leave them that way out of spite, but she chose not to voice her thoughts to Sylvia, who was having a hard enough time coping as it was.

Sylvia's condition worried Lachesis more than anything else they found; although the dancer had demonstrated a strong will and a positive outlook on the way into the desert, seeing Cuan and Ethlin dead seemed to have reverted her to the naive girl she had been three years ago when she first met Sigurd. She had been a mess after witnessing her first major battle, as Lachesis recalled, but she had shown much better self control in more recent situations. This seemed to be two steps forward and three back, and that worried Lachesis.

Dusting her hands off, she stepped back and surveyed their work. The Thracians had been moved off to the side, and Lenster's knights grouped together and laid out properly. There was nothing they could do about scavengers, which upset her, but they didn't have time to bury the knights.

She walked up behind Sylvia, who was standing in front of Cuan and Ethlin, and put a hand on her shoulder. "We've done all we can, Sylvia. Let's set up camp."

Sylvia looked at her, aghast. "Here?"

"It's too late for us to move on further." Lachesis shook her head. "We'll back off a bit, of course...this could attract...local wildlife," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "But we can't go much farther, not in this light."

Sylvia shuddered. "I just...I don't know if I can sleep, this close to all of this..."

"With what we've seen today, I don't know if I can sleep at all," Lachesis said grimly. "But there's not a lot we can do about that." She took Sylvia by the arm and drew her away. "Let's set up."

"Lachesis...how do you do it?"

"Do what?" asked Lachesis, letting go of Sylvia and unpacking the tent from her saddlebags.

"Stay so...composed, even with all of this..." Sylvia's voice faltered.

Lachesis shook her head. "I won't lie to you. It takes self control I didn't know I had. But when Eltoshan died..." She sighed. "That was the most horrible thing I ever saw. Sigurd and Cuan didn't want me to see it. They kept telling me not to go in there; they tried to physically restrain me from going through the door...but I had to. How could I not? It was my brother." She stared at the ground. "And then I went in, and I wished I hadn't. But after seeing that...somehow this doesn't compare."

"Because you weren't close to these people?"

"I wouldn't say that...I wasn't exactly close to Cuan, not like my brother was, but seeing him like this is no cakewalk. It's just that..." She stopped, searching for words. "It's just that after you see the most important person in your life..." She shook her head again. "Forget I mentioned that. I don't want to talk about it."

"Right..." Sylvia said quietly, unpacking gear from her own horse.

They set up camp quickly, then stayed up for another three hours talking about a gamut of subjects from important to trivial. They were in unspoken agreement that they would stay up as late as they could, make themselves as tired as possible, and perhaps they would be too tired to dream about what they had seen.

It didn't work.


	3. Chapter Two

**Shades of Darkness: Chapter Two**

by Iris Amergin

"Lachesis!"

She sat up and brushed her hair away from her eyes in one swift motion. "Something wrong, Sylvia?"

"I could ask you the same thing. You were tossing and turning...it looked like you were having a nightmare."

"I was." She shook her head. "Perhaps I'm just used to suffering through them. Are you okay?"

Sylvia sighed and gazed at the horizon. "Getting there, I guess." She sighed. "I don't think I'll be okay for a long time, but I'm coping."

Lachesis nodded. "We may as well get moving."

"This early?"

"Do you really want to stick around?"

Sylvia shook her head. "Point taken. Let's go."

* * *

Getting used to his new form was proving more difficult than Cuan had expected.

It began, of course, with the fact that he was a crow. Crows matched up to a lot of unpleasant symbolism in the mythology of Lenster--much more so than in the other cultures of Jugdral. And having been raised with his kingdom's legends from the time he was young enough to listen, Cuan was having a difficult time letting go of them and accepting what had happened.

Then there was the matter of flying. When Cuan expressed his reluctance towards learning to fly, Eltoshan had bluntly told him that there was no way he would be able to function in his form if he didn't.

_I can't do it, Eltoshan._

_Why not?_ Eltoshan demanded.

_I...just...can't,_ Cuan said lamely.

_That's not an answer. Why not?_

Cuan fidgeted for a few seconds, avoiding Eltoshan's gaze. _Because...I..._

_Because you...?_

_I'm...afraid of heights._

Eltoshan cackled loudly, but quickly silenced himself when Elvidner cast a suspicious glance in his direction. _You're joking._

_I'm not,_ Cuan snapped. _And if you don't shut up--_

_Sorry,_ said Eltoshan. _It's just that...well, you're the last person I'd expect that from._ He shook his head. _But you're still going to have to learn this, you know._

_I love an understanding friend,_ Cuan muttered.

_Look, it's not that hard. Just get a running start, start flapping your wings, and don't look down._ Eltoshan demonstrated. _See?_

_Easy for you to say._ Cuan took a deep breath. He mimicked Eltoshan's motions, but as soon as he'd gotten a few feet into the air, he immediately stopped flapping his wings and hopped back to the ground. _I can't do this!_

_Cuan, you were three feet in the air. When you were alive, you were over six feet tall and you never had a problem with that._

_Well, I have a problem now, okay?_

Eltoshan sighed. _I can see that we're going to be here for a while._ He stopped, glancing at Elvidner. _Maybe not. Looks like we're about to leave._

_Leave?_ Cuan asked. _How...do you usually travel?_

_By flying,_ Eltoshan said in the patient tone of voice one might adopt when speaking to a small child.

_No._

_Cuan--_

_I said NO!_

Eltoshan snorted derisively. _Fine. Maybe if you ask nicely he'll let you ride on his shoulder._

* * *

"So this is Darna..." Sylvia murmured. "Seems like a nice enough place."

Lachesis shrugged noncommittally. Perhaps to Sylvia's eyes, Darna seemed civilized enough, but the Princess of Nodion was used to far more sophisticated surroundings. Compared to the castles of Agustria, Darna seemed so...rustic.

Still, if you had to live in a backwater town in the middle of nowhere, Darna was as good as any--except for that trifling matter of water shortages, it being in the middle of the desert and all...

_No, I wouldn't want to live here,_ Lachesis thought. _But I don't have to; Sylvia does. And if she likes it, well, no harm there._

Sylvia was looking at her expectantly. "What now?"

"I guess we find the inn and check in for the night. Are you going to be okay here if I head out for Lenster tomorrow?"

Sylvia nodded. "I'll manage." Her voice took on a sly tone. "Can't wait to get back to your boy-toy, eh?"

Lachesis blushed fiercely and stared at the reins in her hand. "That's none of your business!"

Sylvia smiled. "I'm just kiddin'. Take it easy. I know _I'd_ go crazy if Alec took off on me for a year."

"Finn didn't 'take off,'" Lachesis said icily. "He had responsibilities to his lord and his kingdom."

"And by your tone, I'm meant to be thinkin' that responsibilities are somethin' I'd know nothin' about?" Sylvia didn't even bother to disguise the sting in her voice.

Lachesis glared at Sylvia. "Well, how am I _supposed_ to react to a slur on my lover like that?"

"I didn't mean it that way," said Sylvia. "I guess I don't really know you well enough to have an idea of how far I can push. Sorry."

"And I'm not used to being pushed at all," said Lachesis. "Sorry." She sighed. "Until I left Nodion, I was used to having everything revolve around me. It's not an easy habit to break."

Sylvia nodded. "Consider it dropped." She glanced around and pointed down the street. "Inn's over that way."

As they made their way down the street, Lachesis noticed quite a few stares in their directioneven when obviously pregnant, Sylvia still turned plenty of heads. Sylvia apparently noticed, too; she glared indignantly at one of the men staring at her and snapped, "What, you never seen a pregnant lady before?"

The man turned beet red and disappeared into the crowd. Lachesis snickered. "You never know. Maybe he hadn't."

Sylvia shrugged. "I dunno...it doesn't really feel right to let people look at me like that anymore."

"It might help if you stopped dressing like a dancer, then. I don't mean any offense, but that outfit is practically an invitation for people to leer at you. And..."

"And?"

Lachesis winced. "Well, when you're wearing something like that, you're obviously pregnant, and you don't have a man with you...there's one obvious conclusion..." She stopped, letting Sylvia complete the thought on her own.

"I...hadn't thought of that."

"Well, if you're going to be here on your own for a while, you should probably take it into consideration. No point in asking for trouble, especially when you've got Lynn to worry about."

"Yeah...how long d'you think it'll be before Alec can get out here?"

Lachesis shrugged. "Depends on a lot of things, really. Whether Leptor moves out immediately or sits back and waits for Sigurd to come to him. How many forces are deployed at Velthomer and Barhara. Whether Sigurd can make it in to see the king, and whether the king believes what he says. There's really no way for us to tell. You'll just have to wait and keep an ear open for news from Grandbell."

They stopped in front of the inn and turned their horses over to the stableboy, then entered the inn and booked rooms. Lachesis turned to Sylvia. "We've got a couple hours to kill before dinner. Any ideas?"

"I think I'm gonna go take a nap, if you don't mind."

"Okay. See you in an hour or two, then."

Sylvia nodded and disappeared upstairs. Lachesis watched her go, then headed for the door with a sigh. Perhaps she should follow Sylvia's example; surely there wouldn't be anything in this grimy little dirthole of a town that could possibly hold her interest for two hours...but she was feeling far too awake to sit quietly in her room for a while.

She stepped outside and glanced up the street. There was nothing of interest in the direction she and Sylvia had entered town from, but if she was lucky, maybe she would find _something_ up the other way.

A half hour's exploration at that end of town proved that luck was not with her today.

She was just about ready to give up and go back to the inn when she spotted a small shop tucked between two larger buildings, almost unnoticable under the shadows of its overpowering neighbors. A battered sign was hung by the door, but weather and time had conspired to wear the paint to the point of illegibility.

_Well, not like I have anything better to do,_ she thought. She walked purposefully across the street and pushed the door open.

The shop's interior was as dusty as everything else in Darna--perhaps more so, because at least the streets got the occasional strong wind to blow some of the sand away. Everything in the shop, however, seemed to be hidden under a layer of dust a centimeter thick.

"Everything" mostly consisted of books. Shelves ran from floor to ceiling on all four walls, and every shelf was packed with books. Two tables in the middle of the shop held stacks of books, and the chairs next to the tables were covered with still more books. Choosing a book at random, Lachesis picked it up, but the title was completely covered by dust. She blew the dust from the cover and immediately was hit with a bout of sneezes.

A door opened in the back wall--a door she had managed to overlook, snugged between the bookshelves--and an old man poked his head out. "Can I help ye, miss?"

"Just looking," she said, setting the book down and rubbing her nose. "Although...it's a bit dirty for casual browsing."

"I stopped worryin' about that years ago," the man said, his eyes twinkling. "Haven't had a customer in about that long, y'see."

"Well, maybe if you cleaned it up, people would be willing to give it a look. Nobody likes to be assaulted with sneezing fits when they come into a shop."

"Sharp lass, aren't ye? Don't mince words." He tugged his beard. "There just isn't much market for this sort of thing in Darna, but I'm a bit too set in my ways to move on."

Lachesis looked at the book she had picked up before. "I would think moving would be worth it. You have a lot of classics here...and some of these are hard to find," she added, brushing dust from another cover. "My father spent years trying to find a copy of this one."

"Which?" He glanced at the book. "Ah, yes. Simonides didn' bother to make too many copies of his works, and most people didn' think enough of them to bother--"

Without warning, one of the shelves began to shake violently, spilling several books to the ground. Lachesis gasped, opened her mouth to ask what had happened--

--and as suddenly as it had begun to move, the shelf stopped.

"Wh...what was that?" asked Lachesis shakily.

"Don't know, m'afraid," the man replied. He walked over to the shelf and began to pick up the books that had fallen. "But--odd, really."

"What?"

"This isn't the first time it's happened, y'see," he said. "Happened yesterday as well, and although my memory might be failin' me--certainly wouldn't be the firs' time that's happened--but I'm pretty sure this is the same shelf from yesterday, too."

"That doesn't make any sense," murmured Lachesis.

"Indeed it doesn't," he agreed. "An' it's quite annoyin' to boot. I didn' spend all that time alphabetizin' these books so some spook can come along and knock 'em all down again!" He began to replace the books. "If this happens again tomorrow, I might jus' have t' nail the damned thing to the wall."

Lachesis shrugged. "I suppose. I'd best be on my way."

"Thank ye muchly for stoppin' in. Drop by anytime."

"I'm leaving town tomorrow, but if I'm ever in the area again, I will." She smiled--the practiced smile that she put on for formal events and courtiers she didn't know, the one she never gave her friends--and left the shop.

_Damned if I'm going back there again,_ she thought. _That place makes me nervous._

But as she glanced back over her shoulder at the shop, she cou'dn't shake the feeling that there was something important about that entire episode.


	4. Chapter Three

**Shades of Darkness: Chapter Three**

by Iris Amergin

"You're sure you'll be okay?" Lachesis asked as she finished saddling her horse.

"I _did_ fend for myself pretty well before I met up with y'all, y'know," said Sylvia, shifting Lynn from one arm to the other. "I'll be fine. Quit worryin'."

"You didn't have children then."

"I'll manage," Sylvia said firmly. "You're supposed to be headin' for Lenster, not babysittin' me."

Lachesis bit back another argument and nodded. "You're right. I guess this is it, then."

"Guess so."

They stood and stared at each other for a long moment, awkward silence hanging in the air. Finally Lachesis spoke again. "Well, no use dragging it out. Goodbye, Sylvia. Take care of yourself."

"I will." Sylvia smiled. "Good luck out there."

"Thank you. I've got a feeling I'm going to need it." Lachesis nodded to Sylvia and mounted her horse. Without further ado, she flicked the reins and started off.

* * *

_She's left._

_Eh? _asked Cuan, startled.

_Lachesis just left Darna,_ Eltoshan replied. _Which you might've noticed if you hadn't been falling asleep up there._

_I was not falling asleep,_ said Cuan indignantly. _I was...thinking._

_Sure you were._ Eltoshan preened his feathers. _You always snore when you're thinking, then?_

_I wasn't--_ Cuan stopped. _Is that even possible? Do birds snore?_ He noticed the gleam in Eltoshan's eyes and realized his friend was making fun of him. _Hmph...you're enjoying this, aren't you?_

_I haven't had anyone to talk to for a year. Of course I'm enjoying this--not that I'd have wished it on you, but it's nice to have some company for a change._

Cuan decided to steer the conversation back to the original topic. _If she's left, what does that mean to us?_

_I think we're heading in now that she's gone. I suppose he didn't want to run into her, so we've been waiting--_

Eltoshan was proven correct when Elvidner motioned to Sudra and stood up. "We're leaving." He glanced at Eltoshan. "You, however, aren't coming with me yet."

Cuan made a questionable cawing sound.

"I don't want to attract attention," the necromancer growled. "Come find me when it's dark. OFF!" He swept a hand at Cuan, who fell from his shoulder and landed on the ground, cawing in protest.

Eltoshan managed not to laugh too loudly at Cuan. _You okay?_

_Oh, shut up._

Eltoshan watched as Elvidner left. _Really, why would I want to do that? We've got all day to ourselves out here, and he won't be watching over our shoulders. If we're ever going to come up with a plan to get out of this mess, now's the time._

_You aren't thinking big, are you? _Cuan snorted. _I'm not seeing how we can get ourselves out of this when we're stuck being birds._

_It just means we have to be a little more creative,_ said Eltoshan. _Yes, obviously we can't sneak up and knife him in the middle of the night, but that doesn't mean we can't find a way out of this. It's a pity we don't have some way of speaking to Lachesis. I'm sure we could pull something off with her help...lure him into some kind of trap._

Cuan looked at his friend incredulously. _I can't believe I'm hearing you say this._

_Why not?_

_It's just so...unlike you. What happened to that crazy sense of honor that got you killed?_

Eltoshan shook his head. _This is different._

_Oh, do tell._

_Are you saying, if you knew he was planning to do this to Ethlin, you wouldn't do everything you could to stop it?_

Cuan said nothing. Eltoshan continued, _Look, I've been around this guy for a year. He's crazy, and if he gets the chance to snare anyone else, he'll snap at it. Or weren't you wondering why he went to Darna?_

_You're saying you know?_

_Yes. Lachesis left alone, but when she first arrived in Darna, she was with that Blagi girl._

A chill ran down Cuan's spine. _He's going after all of us, isn't he?_

_Makes sense, doesn't it? Why would he stop with Hezul and Noba when he can add a few more to his...collection?_

_But if that's the case, why isn't he following Sigurd to Barhara? Half the people with Sigurd are descended from one Crusader or another._

_Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe he figures he can't get there in time, or it'd be too risky to get ahold of the bodies. Or maybe..._ Eltoshan stopped. _I really hope I'm wrong about this._

_About what?_

_Maybe he doesn't need Sigurd._

_Why wouldn't he?_

_Sigurd has a son now, right?_

Cuan swore. _The slippery bastard...next time I see him I'm pecking his eyes out._

_You wouldn't make it two feet before he stopped you. He's got some nasty control tricks you haven't seen yet._

_How do you know?_

_Cuan, Cuan, Cuan...do you really think I decided to just behave myself when he first got me?_ Eltoshan shook his head again. _I thought you knew me better than that._

_Fine,_ said Cuan. _I'm getting the point. But we still have to do something._

_I never said we weren't going to do something,_ Eltoshan said patiently. _But we're going to have to be subtle about it. I don't think we can take him out alone--not when we're stuck like this, anyway. We need help._

_Great. And where will we be finding it?_

_I think our best bet is finding a way to contact Lachesis. But I don't know how we can manage that._

_Think fast,_ snapped Cuan. _Unless you're wanting Narga knows who joining us here..._

* * *

But for all the time they had to think, neither Cuan nor Eltoshan had come up with anything by nightfall. They had only the barest rudiments of a plan--get Lachesis's help and lure Elvidner into a trap. Neither of them could imagine how they might accomplish it.

_I miss having resources,_ Cuan grumbled.

_We'll figure something out,_ Eltoshan replied, none too confidently.

_How reassuring._

_Oh, shut up. It's getting dark. We'd better head in._

_Already?_

_Do you want to find out what he'll do if we're late?_

_Not really._ Cuan shook his head. _But, there's still the problem of...ah...getting there._

_Oh, for--_

_Elto! You're not helping!_ Cuan snapped.

Eltoshan sighed. _Forget being a crow. He should've turned you into a chicken._

Cuan glared at him, but didn't respond.

_Okay, fine. So you're not going to fly...you could...I don't know. Hop?_

The look in Cuan's eyes said rather plainly what he thought of that idea.

_Dammit, what do you expect _me_ to do about it?_ said Eltoshan. _You're the one with a problem. You do something about it._

Cuan bit back a sarcastic reply and turned towards the city. Flapping his wings, he rose about two feet in the air, then quickly descended and hopped forward a few steps, where he repeated the process.

Eltoshan sighed. _You're going to take all night to get there at that rate._

_If you're having a better idea, now's the time,_ Cuan said without looking back. He continued his strange hop-skip towards Darna. Shaking his head, Eltoshan followed.


	5. Chapter Four

**Shades of Darkness: Chapter Four**

by Iris Amergin

After a week of camping outside, excrutiatingly long and dull horseback rides, and all the annoying little problems that generally accompanied being stuck in the wilderness, Lachesis was more than ready to deliver her message and get back into civilization--take a long hot bath, eat something other than the same boring travel rations, snuggle back in a comfy chair and enjoy a day of being completely inert and nowhere near the smell of her horse...

Unfortunately, the guards at the gate of Lenster Castle didn't seem too intent on letting her in.

"Look, I'm sorry, miss. But we're in a state of war here. We can't just let any random person who shows up come waltzing in and--"

"I'm not just 'any random person!'" she snapped. "I'm the Princess of Nodion, for Narga's sake!"

"Look, I really am sorry, but I can't do anything for you. I've got my orders. Unless you can turn over some proof of identity, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Proof of identity?" Lachesis frowned; she wasn't used to being questioned, and certainly not by anyone so low on the social ladder.

"Yeah. If you can't prove that you're who you say you are, you're not coming in. Is there anyone around who can vouch for you?"

She snapped her fingers. "Finn knows me. Ask him, if you don't believe me."

The guard nodded at his companion, who slipped inside. Several minutes passed, and Lachesis began to tap her foot impatiently. "What's taking so long?"

"It could take a while to find him. Be patient."

But as the spoiled youngest child of a royal house, patience was not a virtue Lachesis had ever had the need or opportunity to cultivate. She sighed and began pacing back and forth.

Nearly twenty minutes had passed before the second guard returned. "He's on his way--"

He was cut off and swept aside as Finn pushed past him. "Lachesis?"

Lachesis threw her arms around him. "Finn! You have no idea how much I missed you!"

His lips met hers, and when he finally broke the kiss several seconds later, her head was spinning and she was only dimly aware of the guards whistling. "Wanna bet?" he asked, his eyes sparkling.

She laughed. "I stand corrected."

Finn nodded at the guards. "Let her in."

The first guard grinned sheepishly and threw a salute as Finn and Lachesis entered the castle.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" he asked. "We'd heard Grandbell was moving on Silesia, but--"

"It's a long story," she said. "And...there are parts you're not going to like. Can we take this somewhere private?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they had retreated to Finn's room and locked the door. Lachesis took a seat on the bed; Finn dragged over a chair from the corner and looked at her expectantly.

"I'm...not even sure where to start," she admitted. "There's been a lot going on since you left."

"How about what brought you down here? I get the feeling that it's something more important than you deciding you missed me."

She nodded and stared at the floor. "Sigurd sent me back. I...I'm supposed to tell you--" She broke off, covering her face with her hands. "Cuan--"

"Prince Cuan?" Finn asked, halfway rising from his chair. "Are you saying--"

"He's dead," Lachesis whispered. "And so is Ethlin."

Finn sat down again, a stunned look on his face. "I...I can't believe it," he said numbly. "Everyone who went with them? They all--"

"All of them."

"How?"

"Thracia."

She didn't need to explain any further. Finn's expression darkened, and the room was silent for several seconds. Finally, he said, "What else happened?"

Lachesis bit her lip. "...I..." She began to fidget nervously, toying with the hem of her skirt. "...I..."

Finn frowned, but didn't say anything.

"After you left...I...I found out I was pregnant." She looked away.

Finn was speechless for a long moment. When she finally stole a glance at him, he looked as if someone had just broken a chair over his head. She winced. "I'm sorry, Finn. I didn't want you to find out this way."

"Is...is she..."

"He."

"He?"

She nodded. "I...named him Delmud. I wanted to wait for you first, but...you never came back."

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I wanted to, but..."

"But?"

"Politics." He shook his head. "It gets complicated. But...where is...Delmud?"

Lachesis twisted a few strands of her hair nervously. "Isaac."

"Isaac?"

"Grandbell started massing forces on the Silesian border. Sigurd knew we had to get out of there--we couldn't repay them for giving us sanctuary by letting an invasion force enter their country. So we decided to push to Barhara and get the situation cleared up. But I don't think any of us were particularly optimistic about what would happen once we got there." She frowned. "Sigurd decided to send Oifey and Shanan to Isaac with Selis, in case something happened to him. Ayra and Lex sent the twins with them, so then Edin and her children went along too...I sent Delmud with them."

He nodded slowly. "I see."

She winced. "I didn't want to do it, Finn! What else was I supposed to do?"

"Don't get me wrong, Lachesis. I don't blame you. There wasn't much else you could do." He sighed again. "I just...well...you understand, right?"

"Yes."

"So after Prince Cuan..." he trailed off. "After that, Sigurd sent you here?"

"Yes. He had to send someone, and he knew I wanted to go. If I'd known I'd end up here, I wouldn't have sent Delmud to Isaac."

"It might be better that you sent him. The situation here isn't too good, either."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you only hear about Prince Cuan's death, or did you..." Finn swallowed. "Did you see him?"

"I...saw the aftermath. And wished I hadn't." Lachesis shuddered.

"Then you probably noticed that he didn't bring a particularly large force with him." He shook his head. "We couldn't afford to. Thracia's been rather active around our borders lately...much more so than usual. His Highness assumed they were staging for an invasion and made his plans accordingly. He assumed that if he left a sizable force here, they wouldn't try anything while he was gone."

"But he got it backwards..."

"And if he's gone, we're doomed. His father is still sick. We don't really have a leader."

"But surely you could--"

"No."

"Why not?" she demanded. "I would've expected Cuan to take you along, so he must've had you stay for a reason. If not to hold things together, then why?"

He smiled bitterly. "I know my limitations, Lachesis. I may be a good fighter, but I don't have the charisma to lead. I wasn't out there because I've been entrusted with Prince Leaf's safety. Lady Ethlin insisted."

"Prince Leaf?" Lachesis asked. She frowned, remembering the last days Cuan and Ethlin had spent among Sigurd's army...and before they left, Ethlin had seemed apprehensive about something, Cuan rather concerned-- "Their son?"

"Yes."

"But..." She stopped. "Wait. What about their daughter? Are you in charge of her too?"

Finn frowned. "Altenna? What do you mean, Lachesis? She went with them--"

"What?" Lachesis gasped.

"But if you didn't know that--" Finn frowned. "You never...saw..."

Lachesis shook her head. "If her...remains...were there, I didn't see them. But we got down there so late, I wouldn't be surprised if...the..." She shuddered, remembering the scavenger-eaten corpses she had seen.

Finn swore softly in the native language of Lenster. "Trabant has much to answer for." He stood and began pacing the room. "But what can we do? We've lost a good portion of our army, we don't have Prince Cuan, the king is on his deathbed..." He swore again. "Lenster is finished."

"It's not," said Lachesis firmly. "Not yet."

"If Thracia doesn't finish us, Grandbell will. Once word about His Highness gets out, they'll come after us. It'll be rather obvious that his intention was to give Sir Sigurd some backup, so we've declared war on them already...and without a leader we'll be a tempting target."

"I'd forgotten about Grandbell." Lachesis sighed. "This doesn't look good, does it?"

"No. You should probably get out of Lenster as soon as you can. You can probably make it back to Isaac--"

"No way, Finn. I'm staying here."

"Lachesis--"

"Don't try to argue with me about this!" she snapped. "Anyway, I have some other business to take care of here, so even if you weren't here, I'd still stay!"

He sighed and nodded, although he didn't look too pleased. Finn knew better than to argue with Lachesis. She always won. "What else do you have to take care of here?"

"I know my brother sent his wife and son out of Agustria before his death. Grahyne was born in Lenster, so it would make sense for them to come here. I have to find them."

"They'd have heard of his death by now, though, wouldn't they?"

"Most likely. But I doubt the entire truth made it out of Agustria. Shagall was always a snake. I wouldn't put it past him to make sure a different story leaked past our borders." She frowned. "I never trusted him, but Eltoshan always told me I was being too judgmental..."

"Maybe you were, but you were still right." Finn shook his head. "On the journey from Silesia back to Lenster, Prince Cuan said some...things about Shagall..."

"What did he say?"

"It's not fit for a lady's ears." Seeing the look on her face, he held up his hands to forestall her protests. "The expression doesn't translate well, anyway, so I couldn't really give you the full meaning even if I wanted to."

She half-smiled. "Fine. You win."


End file.
